Stay With Me
by Spnchick09
Summary: She left him four years ago, thinking the night before a mistake. She then wrote him a letter, begging him to come back.
1. Your Everything

**Disclaimer: **I don't own 7th Heaven, so this disclaimeris pointless.

**Author's Note: **I was watching a movie the other night, and came up with the plotline of this story. It was originally going to be a oneshot, but turned into a five part story. I hope you enjoy it. Also, please leave a review at the end. I'd really appreciate it.

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_**Chapter One: Your Everything**_

_"Stay with me," she begged._

_The rain continued to pound on the roof, keeping time with the clock. Her eyes were shining from the streetlight outside the window, with a hand outstretched towards him._

_He stared at her, looking into the eyes that melted him. Those brown eyes could never be refused by him, and he was amazed at the power they held. So deep, full of a need to be loved. And he couldn't resist it._

_Even though he'd wanted to love her for years, he'd never allowed himself to comfort her the way he'd wanted to. He wasn't sure if she'd let him, so he'd never tried. It wasn't fear, but more of a longing to keep things the way they were, in hopes of not destroying the friendship they had._

_Tonight, however, was different. He knew she wanted him, wanted his arms around her. The thought made him weak, to imagine being hers, and only hers._

_"Ruthie..." he stuttered._

_"Please?" she whispered, a sense of despair in her tone. "I need you."_

_He sighed, still standing beside the small bed of her New York apartment. "I.." he stuttered again._

_Ruthie grabbed his hand, kissing his palm, and looked back to his eyes. "Martin..."_

_There it was. The look in her eyes that made him forget everything else. The one that made his knees buckle and his body fall to the floor._

_He knelt down, softly, careful not to disturb her cat in a corner adjacent to her bed. He leaned up against the bed, and she turned on her side, facing him._

_"We shouldn't..." he whispered, stroking her cheek._

_"Then why can't you keep your eyes off me?" she questioned, a sly smile on her face now._

_Martin returned the smile, making Ruthie's smile grow wider. He brushed a few brunette curls behind her ear, making her shiver._

_"Cold?"_

"No," she responded, her eyes once again meeting his. Her smile had faded, as had Martin's.

_"You sure?" he whispered, his voice low._

_Ruthie hesitated a few seconds, looking down at her hands. She let out a deep breath, and slowly nodded. "I'm sure," she said, once again meeting his burning gaze._

_He nodded, and she moved over. He allowed himself to occupy the small space on her bed, all the while never letting go of her gaze._

_She let him get comfortable, and grow accustomed to the amount of space he had._

_He pulled the blankets over him, smiling to reassure her that he wasn't leaving, or having second thoughts._

_She returned the grin, and put a hand on his face, causing his eyes to grow into a look she'd never seen before, but it was one that she loved from the moment she saw it._

_"Ruth," he whispered._

_She obliged, bringing her mouth to his. It was electrifying, more powerful than any kiss Ruthie or Martin had felt. She allowed the kiss to last for twenty seconds, before pulling away smiling._

_Martin's eyes still held the same intent look, and his entire expression was serious. "I want you," he whispered._

_Ruthie's smile faded. She'd never heard him talk like this before, and it almost scared her. "What?" she rasped, all of a sudden feeling self-conscious._

_Martin's eyes suddenly held a look of remorse. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said..."_

_Ruthie cut him off, shaking her head.. "It's okay," she whispered, placing a finger over his lips. "I need you."_

_Martin smiled, closing the gap between their lips once again. She let him deepen the kiss, and allowed her hands to curl around his neck._

_He found himself climbing on top of her, and she stopped the kiss. _

_"I'm sorry, Ruthie," he said, starting to get off._

_Ruthie shook her head. "Stay," she asked, holding him on top of her._

_He nodded, allowing himself to kiss her once more._

_After that, the two had no more interruptions in their night together. No more second thoughts, and no more thoughts of what could happen with one act._

_He made love to her that night. On the night that they shared their first kiss, Martin made love to the only woman he'd ever cared about with all his heart. A simple act of love, with complex consequences._

Martin awoke, startled by the dream that had seemed all too real.

It had happened at one time, but the details of what had happened four years ago were all too familiar in his head. They were etched in his memory, burned into his brain, and they refused to leave him alone.

He sighed, looking out the window. The clouds were starting to become a shade of light pink, telling Martin that morning was on its way.

A flight attendant walked by in the aisle, and he stopped her. "Excuse me, how far are we from New York?"

"We'll be landing in about ten minutes," the woman replied, with a large smile.

"Thank you. Um, could I get a cup of coffee?" he asked, noticing the steaming pot of coffee in the back.

"Sure. Just a moment, sir."

Martin nodded in thanks, and let out a breath, his cheeks slightly puffing out as he did so.

_Martin was still holding her, his arms wrapped around her, her body fitting in every nook and cranny of Martin's muscular frame._

_She wasn't asleep, but Martin pretended that he thought she was. He began to hum softly, a song that Ruthie didn't recognize at first._

_"Sing for me," she requested, scooting closer to him._

_"You're awake?" he asked, pretending to be surprised._

_"Sing."_

_Martin sighed, causing Ruthie's small frame to scoot away from him as he allowed his lungs to expand. "Ruthie, I don't know. I've never sung for anyone before," he teased._

_"Please?"_

_"Do you realize what that word alone has done to me tonight?" he cooed, running a hand up and down her thin arm._

_"Well, it's not like you couldn't refuse it," she said back, a hint of flirtatiousness in her voice._

_"Are you kidding? With those eyes? I couldn't resist."_

_Ruthie turned herself over, facing him. She put two hands on Martin's chest, her touch sending sparks through his body._

_"Sing," she yawned._

_"You're too tired. You should sleep," he chuckled, kissing her forehead. He rolled over, leaving his back to her._

_"Martin!" she whined._

_"Ruth, it's not anything special. It's just a voice that sounds like someone scratching their nails on a chalkboard."_

_Ruthie finally gave up, and let him roll over and pull her into a hug. He started humming again to taunt her, and this time she didn't beg. _

_"What're you humming? At least tell me that much."_

_"You ever heard Keith Urban's song, "Your Everything?""_

_Ruthie's eyes lit up. "Yes."_

_"Well, that's what I'm humming."_

_The two were silent, just looking into each others eyes for a few minutes._

_Martin finally broke the silence. "I love you, Ruthie."_

_Ruthie's eyes lost their twinkle, and she suddenly couldn't look at him anymore. "Uh..."_

_Martin sighed, dismayed. "You don't have to say it back."_

_Ruthie looked up once again, into his eyes. "I'm sorry, Martin. I'm just not sure..."_

_"Shh, it's okay," he assured her._

It wasn't okay, though. He'd wanted her to love him, more than anything. Sure, it was spontaneous, but shouldn't she love him, if she was willing to _make _love to him?

Martin rubbed his temples again, trying to rid the images of that last night he'd seen her. So beautiful, so young. At the mere age of twenty, she was more attractive than any woman he'd ever laid eyes on. The last time he'd seen her, her brown curls were spread on a pillow, making her look like an angel. Her eyes were glistening, tears forming from the fact that she'd hurt him.

And she had. Martin was hurt, and hadn't ever gotten over it. He'd slept with her, told her that he'd loved her, and she couldn't say it back.

"Your coffee, sir."

Martin raised his head, smiling. "Thank you."

The woman nodded, and he took a sip. He grimaced, setting the cup on the fold-down tray, and grabbed a piece of gum from his pocket, trying to rid the taste from his mouth.

"Excuse me, ladies and gentlemen, but the pilot would like to ask you to fasten your seatbelts, as we'll be making our descent into the New York area."

Martin fastened his seatbelt, and took a deep breath. This was it. He was actually going back to New York.

He'd received a note from _her, _begging him to come back to New York from his home in Miami. Shortly after she'd left him, he'd moved from New York, trying to rid the memories of _her_. Apparently, she was ready to explain everything to him. And for Martin, that'd be a lot of explaining.

The note was still in front of him, still folded the same way it had been folded in the envelope. Her delicate handwriting was still preserved, still without a single smudge.

He opened it again, reading the note for the hundredth time.

_Martin,_

_How are you? I know it's been a while, but I want to see you. I shouldn't have left without a word. Please, just come back to New York. I'll explain everything, I promise. I'm still in the same part of town, but I've switched apartments. I needed more space, but I also needed to get out of that other apartment. There were too many memories of you._

_Please, come. My address is on the envelope._

_I'll be waiting._

_Yours truly,_

_Ruthie_

He ran a hand through his hair, which had grown to be a bit longer than Ruthie would've remembered it. It had taken him months to decide whether or not he should go back to the woman that had broken his heart, and he'd finally come to the conclusion that he might get some closure if he went back.

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Did you like? Was it horrible? Please tell me in a review. I was up until four in the morning writing this whole story, so I have no idea how it is. Please be honest. If you hated it, tell me. Although, it'd be nice to get a few "that was okay's" in there. :P

Chapter 2 will be up soon.


	2. Coffee

**Disclaimer: **Refer to Chapter One.

**Author's Note: **Thank you so much for the reviews. I really appreciate them. By the way, I accept anonymous reviews, so for those of you reading and not reviewing, I know it. I thinkI had over one hundred hits, but had nine reviews out of that.

Anyway, enough of my ranting. This chapter is a bit shorter than the first chapter, I think. I'm not really sure.

Okay, so, please enjoy this chapter and leave a review. This is Chapter 2 of 5.

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**__**Chapter Two: Coffee**_

"Hi, I need to go here," Martin said, showing the taxi driver the return address on the worn envelope.

"Oh, sure," the taxi driver nodded, starting the engine and driving off.

Martin thanked him, and sat back in the seat. He stared out the window, noticing the places he and Ruthie had been the first night he'd seen her. The memories continued to come back and haunt him.

For example, they passed the bar where he'd first seen her. The images were clear as the night sky. It had been the night he'd found her in the city. Four months before the last night he saw her.

_The music was loud, almost deafening, and Martin's eyes were scanning the crowd. He didn't see Mac at any of the tables, so looked towards the dance floor._

_He had agreed to see Mac at this bar, a familiar hangout for the two, tonight. They were to meet here at five, and as of 5:30, Mac still wasn't there._

_Thinking that he may have found another girl for tonight, he headed for the dance floor. Instead of finding Mac, he found someone he hadn't expected to meet._

_"Ruthie?" he muttered to himself._

_There she was, those brunette curls bouncing up and down, her small frame moving to the music. Martin had never felt more uncomfortable watching her._

_She was dancing with a man who looked too old for her, causing Martin to become envious. He quickly shook the feeling away, dismissing it as the typical "older-brother" protectiveness._

_The song ended, and Martin hurried towards her. She turned in his direction, and her eyes widened. "Martin!" she squealed._

_Martin grinned. "Hey, Ruth!" he exclaimed, letting her jump into his arms._

_He let her down, kissing her forehead as he did. "What're you doing in a bar?"_

_Ruthie laughed. "I'm 21, you know."_

_Martin cocked his head, figuring the math in his mind. He shook his head. "Nuh-uh. You're twenty, I just turned twenty-two."_

_"Shh!" she giggled. "Fake ID's work wonders."_

_Martin's eyes widened. "Ruthie Elizabeth Camden."_

_"What? Don't middle-name me," she joked, sticking her tongue out at him._

_"I can't believe you."_

_"Ah, I'm almost there. Come on, let's get out of here. I'd like to be able to talk to you and hear you at the same time," she kidded._

_"Okay," he chuckled. "Let's go."_

He'd completely forgotten about Mac that night. Once he was under Ruthie's spell, he'd left with her. The two had headed to a local coffee shop, one that Ruthie said made the best coffee in the world.

_"Here, you have to try this."_

_She handed him a cup of steaming hot coffee, and he gave her a look. "I don't drink coffee."_

_"You will once you taste it!" she persuaded._

_Martin playfully rolled his eyes, pretending to be annoyed._

_Once he'd taken a sip, he couldn't quit drinking until he'd downed the entire mug of the liquid._

_"You were right."_

_"Aren't I always?" she taunted._

"Sir, your fare is on the meter back there."

Martin was shaken from his memories to the device in front of him, with $45.63 in red.

Martin quickly pulled out two twenties and a ten, and handed it to the driver. "Keep the change."

The driver nodded. "Thanks."

"Thank you."

Martin got out, shut the door, and turned to face the doorway of the apartment building. He walked slowly towards the front door, and found a few buttons, each with names next to them.

He scanned the names, until he saw one that said, "Ruthie Johnson."

He sighed. Ruthie had married.

He was almost ready to press that button, until he saw a name next to it. "Ruthie Camden."

Martin smiled to himself. Apparently, there were two Ruthie's in this apartment building.

He pressed the button, and took a deep breath.

"Hello?"

Martin jumped, startled by her response.

"Ruthie?"

"Who's this?"

"It's Martin."

"Oh my God," he heard her whisper.

"I got your letter," he replied.

He heard the buzz, signaling that the door had been opened.

Martin dashed inside, running up the stairs in search of Ruthie's apartment. Martin stopped in front of an open door, where she was standing against the door frame.

"Hey," she whispered, giving him a weak smile.

"Hey," he replied.

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How was it? 

Well, if you leave me a review, I'd know. :-D See that little blue button? Yeah, there ya go...YES! There! Okay, now click it, type a few words, and then you can submit it and breathe again.


	3. She's Yours

**Disclaimer: **Refer to Chapter One.

**Author's Note: **Okay, this is part three of five. It's not the longest chapter, but it's longer than the last one. This is one half of the reason Ruthie asked Martin to come back.

I hope you enjoy it. The next half of her reasoning will come next chapter.

Also, please leave a review. I had over two hundred hits, and about twenty reviews. It's kind of annoying. I don't mean to rant or anything, but I like to know how it was, because I'd love some constructive criticism, or anything, really, because I have a lot of ideas for stories, and I'd like them to be the best they can be. I can only get better by reviews, so please do so.

On to Chapter Three.

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**__**Chapter Three: She's Yours**_

Age had treated her well. Her eyes were still the same intense shade of brown, her head was still occupied by those curls that Martin wanted to tangle his fingers in. Her skin was still soft, her smile still there. But there was something different about it. Her smile wasn't the same anymore, but Martin couldn't quite put his finger on it.

"I got your letter," he repeated, holding the envelope up.

She nodded, ushering him in with a wave of her hand. He walked into the apartment, immediately noticing the largeramount of space that she had, compared to her apartment four years ago. She shut the door behind him, still not willing herself to look at Martin.

"How are you?" he asked.

"I'm fine. I think you should sit down," she smiled.

"Sure," he shrugged, sitting on a couch behind him.

She sat beside him, and he turned towards her.

"Um, first off, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have hurt you like I did..." Ruthie was cut off by him, surprised by the nasty tone of his voice.

"Hey, it's okay. My heart doesn't get broken that often. It was nice to have the love of my life be the one to do the honor," he spat.

"Martin, please..."

The two were interrupted by a knock at the door. Ruthie headed for it, and on the other side was a woman, who looked to be in her thirties, along with a young girl in her arms.

"Hey, Susan!" Ruthie exclaimed.

"Hey, Ruthie. Jen's been asleep, so she's still wakin' up," Susan explained, handing the young girl to Ruthie.

"Hi, sweetie," Ruthie cooed, kissing the young girl's forehead.

"I'll pay you tomorrow, Susan. I've got company to attend to," Ruthie said, jerking her head towards the young man in the background.

"Ooh, he's cute! Where'd you find him?" Susan swooned.

Ruthie watched Martin smile and blush, look towards the floor, and Ruthie smiled back at Susan. "I'll talk to you later, okay?"

Susan nodded, and Ruthie shut the door.

"Jennifer, can you say hi to my friend, Mr. Brewer?"

"Hello, Mr. Brewer," she greeted, holding her small hand out.

"Hi, Jennifer," Martin answered, shaking her hand.

"Can I go watch TV now, Mommy?"

Ruthie nodded, letting her daughter walk into the living room and turn on the television.

"You're a mom?" Martin questioned, standing beside her.

"Yeah, I'm a mommy," Ruthie glowed.

"What's her name?" Martin asked, keeping his eyes on the young girl.

"Jennifer Martin Camden," Ruthie replied, avoiding eye contact with Martin.

Martin, oblivious, answered, "Nice choice of a middle name, Ruth," he laughed.

"She's named after her father," she said, looking up at him.

Martin's grin disappeared, and his eyes widened. His mouth was slightly open, and he looked petrified.

"You mean.."

"She's yours, Martin. She's your daughter."

_"You want anything?" she asked._

_"No, I'm fine, thanks."_

_"Coffee?"_

_"Yeah, okay," Martin chuckled._

_Ruthie laughed, pouring him a cup. "I told you. Once you had that cup, you'd never stop drinking it."_

_"I never said I wanted the cup of coffee to drink. I just figured I'd make you waste another cup," he kidded._

_"Ha ha."_

_"I need something to offset those shots you made me take."_

_"Yeah, because coffee can do that," Ruthie rolled her eyes. "And I didn't make you take those. You offered," she reminded him._

_"I was hoping you wouldn't remember that," he chuckled, shivering all over again from the body shot experience he'd had with her._

_The two had gone out to the bar where they'd met up four months ago, and just spent time together. They weren't dating, or involved romantically in any way, but continued to go out together._

_"Thanks," he said, taking the cup from her._

_She discarded her jacket on the couch, and sat beside him._

_"Is that rain?"_

_The two were quiet, and Martin nodded his head. "Yeah, I think so."_

_"I hate thunderstorms," Ruthie shuddered._

_Martin was about to reply, until a crash of thunder interrupted him._

_Ruthie shivered, cuddling into him. Martin laughed, and she slapped his chest._

_"Shut up," she spat, laughing._

"She's..."

"Martin, it's okay..."

Martin's eyes filled up with tears, and he was having a hard time forming words. He took a couple of steps backwards, and turned around, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand. Ruthie heard him take a few deep breaths, letting them out slowly. When he turned around, a tear was rolling down his cheek.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked her, obviously angry.

"Because...I was afraid to. I left you, Martin, without even telling you where I went or why. I didn't want you to be even more angry with me," she explained.

"You think that I'm not angry at all, when I find out that I have a four year old daughter, and I'm just now getting involved in her life?"

The two stood in silence for a good minute staring at their child, before Ruthie spoke up.

"Isn't she beautiful?" Ruthie asked.

Martin let another tear fall. "She's the most beautiful child I've ever seen," he whispered.

Ruthie smiled, looking Martin in the eyes now.

"Can...can I...?" he asked, pointing at Jennifer.

"Yeah, go! Go talk to her, Martin," Ruthie ushered him on, pushing him towards the living room.

Martin slowly approached his daughter, and sat beside her. "What're you watching?"

"Sesame Street," she answered, her green eyes twinkling.

_She has my eyes, _he thought, smiling.

Martin sat and watched with her, as Ruthie looked on with tears in her eyes.

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Okay, how was it? LEAVE A REVIEW! Please? lol 

Seriously, though, I'd really appreciate a review. So please leave one.

How lucky are you guys? Two chapters in one day. :P


	4. It's Killing Me

**Disclaimer: **Refer to Chapter One.

**Author's Note: **Okay, for all of you who figured it out, yes, Forrest Gump is the movie this is based on. I tried to change as much as I could without changing the plot. If you've seen this movie, you probably know how this will end. I won't spoil this here, because it's in the chapter down there.

I hope you enjoy Chapter Four. PLEASE leave a review.

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**__**Chapter Four: It's Killing Me**_

_Martin glanced at his watch, rubbing his eyes. "I should go, Ruth. It's getting late."_

_"Yeah, okay," she replied, uncurling herself from his arms._

_"Wait, Martin...will you, um, will you walk me to my bedroom? I don't want to walk down my hallway alone," she confessed, blushing._

_Martin chuckled lightly. "Sure."_

_He walked her into the bedroom, smiling. She asked him to wait, while she went in the bathroom and changed clothes._

_She emerged dressed in pajamas, a pink tank top and gray sweatpants, with her hair thrown up in a careless bun._

_"I hate storms," she muttered, walking past him and sitting on her bed._

_"You okay, now?" Martin asked, standing in her door frame._

_Ruthie didn't make a noise, but Martin shut the light off. He heard her whimper, and walked towards the bed._

_"Stay with me," she begged._

Martin and Ruthie had decided to go on a walk, with Jennifer riding her bike out in front of them.

"How could you keep this from me for four years, Ruth? Does your family even know?"

"It wasn't easy, and yes, they know. They know I had a baby girl, but they don't know her middlename, or that you're her father. I wanted you to know that first."

"So, you said, 'Hey, I'm having a baby, but I'm not telling you who the father is.' Did your brothers immediately fly out to New York to beat up every man in sight?"

Ruthie laughed. "No, amazingly enough. Mom made sure their wives all kept them at home." Ruthie giggled.

"Simon's married?"

"Yeah, he married Sandy," she said, as her smile faded.

Martin sighed, before her smile reappeared, and she looked into his green eyes. "Martin, I'm over it. I've got you for myself. I could care less that she was your first."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'm positive."

Martin smiled, putting an arm around her waist. "I've missed you," he admitted.

"I've missed you, too. And I've wanted to say something ever since I left."

"What?"

"I love you, too."

_Martin awoke, with flashbacks of the night before coming back to him in an instant. He couldn't help but smile to himself, and felt for her body._

_He sat up instantly, realizing she wasn't by his side. Instead, there was a note. Small and simple, with one line._

_"I'm sorry. It was a mistake."_

_It tore him up. He read it over and over, before throwing the note at the wall, and tossing the blankets aside. _

_"I'm sorry, too," he spat to no one in particular._

_He threw on his clothes, and dashed out of the apartment, noticing her jacket was gone. _

Martin smiled, kissing her forehead. "God, I love you."

Ruthie bit her bottom lip, lacing her fingers in his, and took a deep breath. "Martin, there's another reason I needed you to come back."

"What, you had twins with me?" he laughed.

Ruthie gave a weak smile, and answered, "No. It's not that happy."

Martin's grin faded, and stared her in the eyes, while Jennifer continued to ride ahead of them on her bike. "What?"

"I have cancer, Martin."

Martin let out a sigh of relief. "That's okay. There's all sorts of treatment for that nowadays," he told her.

Ruthie shook her head. "It's not okay, Martin. Surgery and medicine can't fix it," she whispered.

Martin's breath caught. "What're you talking about?"

"There's nothing the doctors can do. I have a brain tumor, Martin. It's inoperable," she told him, tears filling her eyes.

"What...uh, what does that mean?" he asked, rubbing the back of his head and avoiding eye contact with her.

"It's killing me, Martin. I'm dying."

_He'd searched for hours, and hadn't found her. Now, he didn't even remember how to get back to her apartment._

_He gave up, and headed for the nearest bar._

_"What'll you have?" the bartender asked._

_"Anything to cure a broken heart?" Martin asked, keeping his head down._

_"Ah, there is. I'll get you something," the man said._

_"Thanks," Martin said, once he was handed his drink._

_"So what happened? Girlfriend leave you? Wife?"_

_"I slept with a girl, told her I loved her, and she wasn't there this morning. She left a note saying it was a mistake. I spent this entire morning trying to find her, but I've given up," Martin explained, downing a swig of the liquid._

_"Wow, that's some story. But you told a girl you loved her the first night you spent with her?"_

_"What? No! I've known that girl...woman for eight years. I've been in love with her for five. I met her again four months ago, after being separated from her for two years. And I slept with her last night, told her I loved her, and she left."_

_"Here, have two," the bartender said, handing Martin another drink._

Martin started sniffling, looking off to the side, and then back to her. "You're...dying?" he stuttered.

Ruthie nodded, sobbing. "I'm dying."

Martin let an enormous breath escape, his cheeks enlarging with it. He looked back into her eyes, desperately trying to keep himself from crying.

"How long?"

"A few months, at the most."

Martin pulled her into a tight hug, kissing her hair. He pulled her tighter, almost knocking himself over from holding her so tight. "I love you, Ruthie," he whimpered, kissing her forehead.

"I love you, too," she replied.

Martin instantly dropped to one knee, while Jennifer was picking flowers, oblivious to the scene.

"Marry me."

"What?" Ruthie's tears stopped.

"Marry me," he repeated.

"Are you sure? You're just marrying a dying..."

"Don't say that. You're just not going to be here much longer. I want to make you my wife, Ruthie. Please?"

"Remember where that word got us, Martin?" Ruthie giggled, gesturing towards Jennifer.

Martin didn't laugh, but still gazed at her. "Ruthie Camden, will you marry me?"

She was quiet a minute, before asking, "Will you love me for the rest of my life?"

Martin thought it over a few seconds, before shaking his head. "No. I'll love you for the rest of mine."

Ruthie grinned, before getting on her knees and kissing him.

"Yes," she whispered. "I'll marry you," she replied, once again kissing him.

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So, how was it? Next chapter will be the last chapter. I've considered a possible sequel in the form of a one-shot, but I'm not sure. It may happen, it may not. I'm in the process of writing another fanfic on another site, and this story was written to help with writer's block. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter.

Please leave a review and tell me how it was. :-)


	5. You'll Always Stay With Me

**Disclaimer: **Refer to Chapter One.

**Author's Note: **Well, this is it. THE final chapter. It's extra long, so I hope it satisfies. For those of you who asked what the other story that I write is...well. If you read "That One Night," which is uploaded by mr4ever, but is written by me, I'm currently already working on the sequel for it over at the WB Boards. Once That One Night is finished on this site, I'll upload the sequel, which is titled "One More Day Of Insanity." I'm trying not to write too many other stories or one-shots at this time, simply because I don't want to be distracted by them and completely forget about OMDOI, which I'm trying to finish.

Anyways, back to this, like I said, it's a very long chapter. It was hard for me to write. Mainly because much of it was written at four in the morning, but aside from that, it's also had many things added toand edited out from it. It's gone through many changes, and I think it's finally ready to be posted, so that's what I'm doing.

Please leave a review. I've had over a thousand hits, but no where near that many reviews. Of course, not everyone is going to review, but it'd be nice to know what people think. I review everything I read. Could you please return the favor?

If there area number of requests for a sequel, which will most likely be a one-shot, then the possibility of a sequel will rise, so to speak.

Thank you to those that have always reviewed and have read. I love writing, and it's nice when others enjoy it, too. :-)

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Chapter Five: You'll Always Stay With Me**_

"I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride," Eric said, smiling.

Martin got on his knees to kiss Ruthie, and the guests began to clap.

He smiled widely at her, before noticing the look on her face. "You're beautiful," he whispered.

She grinned, kissing him again, and sat back in her wheelchair after she'd kissed him.

Ruthie had undergone numerous chemotherapy treatments, which had now left her weak and bald. Her head was covered in a red bandana, with a white veil draping from the back of it. Her skin was paling, and her health was daily deteriorating.

"Thank you," she giggled.

She began coughing, and Martin looked on in worry. "You okay?"

Ruthie nodded, and Martin, with one hesitant glance at her eyes, stood up and walked around to the back of her wheelchair.

"No."

"What?" he asked.

"I want to walk down the aisle with you," she said, her voice defensive.

"Ruth, I don't know..."

"Please? I only get to do this once."

Martin let out a heavy sigh, looking to Eric. Eric nodded, and Martin agreed.

"Okay," he said.

He helped Ruthie out of her wheelchair, and she clung to him as she walked down the aisle of the church. Suddenly, her knees gave out, and Martin immediately fell to the floor with her.

"Ruthie! You okay!"

"Yeah, I'm fine," she assured him.

"Come here," he said, carrying her the rest of the way.

* * *

The two were lying in bed, in Ruthie's bedroom at the Camden household. Because of her medical condition, she had moved back home to be with her family. A double bed had been moved up to the attic bedroom, so Martin could be close to his wife at night.

"Martin..."

"Yeah?" he rasped, almost asleep.

"Sing to me," she whispered.

"What do you want me to sing?"

"Sing that song that you were humming for me that night," Ruthie answered, not having to go into detail about when "that night" was.

Martin began singing, and he could feel Ruthie breathing contentedly in his arms.

_The first time I looked in your eyes I knew_

_That I would do anything for you_

_The first time I touched your face I felt_

_What I've never felt, With anyone else_

_I wanna give back what you've given to me_

_And I wanna witness, all of your dreams_

_Now that you've shown me, who I really am_

_I wanna be more than just your man_

_I wanna be the wind that fills your sails_

_Be the hand that lifts your veil_

_Be the moon that moves your tides_

_And the sun comin' up in your eyes_

_Be the wheel that never rusts_

_Be the spark that lights you up_

_All that you've been dreamin' of and more_

_So much more_

_I wanna be your everything_

_When you wake up, I'll be the first thing you see_

_And when it gets dark you can reach out for me_

_I'll cherish your words, and I'll finish your thoughts_

_And I'll be your compass, baby, when you get lost_

_I wanna be the wind that fills your sails_

_Be the hand that lifts your veil_

_Be the moon that moves your tides_

_And the sun comin' up in your eyes_

_Be the wheel that never rusts_

_Be the spark that lights you up_

_All that you've been dreamin' of and more_

_So much more_

_I wanna be your everything_

By the end of Martin's song, Ruthie was crying. "That was beautiful," she whispered.

"Thank you," he blushed. "You're the first woman I've sung to. Actually, I think you're the first person I've ever sung to," he admitted.

Ruthie rolled over. "Well, I'm glad I have that honor," she said, smiling.

The two looked into each others eyes, before Ruthie broke into a horrible spasm.

"Ruth, you okay? Ruth...!"

* * *

"Mr. Brewer?" the doctor announced, waiting to see who would respond.

Martin jumped up, along with the rest of the Camden family. "Yes?"

"Your wife's time is short. I'm sure you'd like to talk with her."

"To say what?" Martin asked quietly.

"Your goodbyes."

"You mean she's...?" Martin stuttered, afraid of the answer he already knew.

"She'll be dying in the next hour, sir. I'm terribly sorry."

Martin began crying, not caring that it was in front of his wife's family, who were crying with him.

"I won't be long..." Martin started.

"No, we'll go first. You can go after us. You'll want more time with her." Eric offered.

"Thank you," Martin sighed, not sure of what he would've said to his wife anyway.

_"Are you sure, Ruthie? I don't want to sleep with you if it'll hurt you," he told her, while she kissed his neck._

_"Martin, I'll be fine. This will be my only honeymoon night. I want you," she told him, resuming her task._

_"Alright. But if you start to feel out of breath, or anything, tell me and we'll stop, okay?"_

_"I think I'll feel out of breath, anyway," she said, a sly smile on her face._

_Martin laughed, before kissing her._

_

* * *

The two were wrapped in sheets, with Martin's arms around her waist. Their honeymoon night was going well, so far, without Ruthie feeling the slightest bit of weakness._

_"Why did you marry me, Martin?" she asked him, goose bumps rising on her skin as he dragged his fingers up and down her arm._

"_Because I love you, Ruthie. I want to at least be able to say that I married the woman that I love."_

"_But I'm dying in a few months, Martin. You and Jennifer will be on your own," she reminded him._

"_I know that. But I still will be able to die happy, knowing that I married you."_

"_I do love you, Martin. I always have. I was just afraid that night."_

"_Shh, I know. It's okay."_

_Ruthie cuddled into his chest, and inhaled his cologne. "Thank you."_

"_For what?" he asked her._

"_Coming back to me. I needed you more than I thought."_

"Martin, you can go see her now," Annie announced, dabbing her eyes with a tissue.

Martin nodded, and headed off towards Ruthie's hospital room. Once inside, his breath caught.

She saw him in the doorway, and her eyes instinctively filled with tears. "I look horrible."

"Are you kidding? You're the most beautiful woman on the planet."

Ruthie smiled, a tear spilling down her cheek,and Martin took a seat next to her.

Martin felt his eyes moistening, and looked her in the eyes. "Why'd you do this, huh?"

"Do what?"

"Make me fall in love you. Make me have a kid with you. Make me marry you. How'd you possess me to do any of that?" he kidded.

"It's a gift," she replied.

Martin laughed, stroking her hand. After a few minutes, he heard her speak up again.

"Why weren't you this emotional when I first told you that I was dying?"

Martin gave her a weak smile. "I didn't really believe it. It didn't hit me until you started getting weaker this past month. You're actually dying," he choked out.

When he looked up at her, he noticed her breathing was shallow, and her eyes were struggling to stay open.

"Ruthie?" he nervously asked.

"Oh, honey...it's my time," she rasped, closing her eyes.

"No, no," Martin chanted, crying. "No! Stay with me," he pleaded.

Ruthie opened her eyes, looking at him. "You stayed with me that night, Martin. I'm always going to stay with you," she whispered.

"I love you, Ruthie," he whispered, kissing her hand over and over.

"I love you, too, Martin. Take good care of Jenny, okay?"

"Ruthie, please. Don't..."

"Martin, kiss me," she requested.

Martin kissed her, hard and passionately, knowing all too well that it'd be the last kiss he'd share with her.

"I love you, Ruth," he cried.

"I love you, too."

And then, Martin's world came to a stop, as Ruthie Camden-Brewer passed away.

Martin slowly walked out of the hospital room, and met up with the Camden family.

Noticing his tear-stained face, Annie asked, "Has she..?"

"Yeah, ten minutes ago. She died...passed away ten minutes ago."

The Camden family erupted into a fresh batch of sobs.

"I've gotta get out of here," Martin said.

He grabbed his car keys, and kissed his daughter's forehead. Once Annie offered to watch Jennifer for a while, he left. He just had to get away from it all.

**Two Months Later**

Martin walked across the leaves, listening to the crunch they made underneath his feet. He was holding thirteen roses in his right hand, one for every year he'd known her. Ten of them were red, signifying every year he'd loved her, while the other three were white, for the years that he'd loved her without knowing it, and he was slowly approaching the love of his life.

_ Ruthie Elizabeth Camden-Brewer_

_ December 28th, 1989 - September 17th, 2015_

_ Beloved Mother, Wife, Daughter_

Martin took a deep breath, setting the flowers in front of the gray headstone. He crouched down until he was sitting beside her.

"Hey, Ruth," he croaked.

He desperately tried to stop the tears that were already threatening to fall.

"We buried you a month ago. It was the hardest thing I'll ever have to do, babe. Why..."

Martin stopped himself, trying to keep his anger inside. It didn't work.

"Why the hell did you leave me!" he yelled at the headstone. "Why did you make me fall in love with you! Why did you let me fall for you, when you were just going to die anyway!" he screamed.

Martin slammed a fist to the ground, letting the tears fall. "God, I miss you, Ruthie," he rasped, almost choking on his tears.

Martin chuckled to himself, saying, "I remember when I got Sandy pregnant. She told me she was late, and you were the first thing that came to my mind," he told her, bringing his knees to his chest.

"Then, I had to tell you, and you said you hated me. And then I moved to New York to go to college."

He swore he could hear her breathing, as though she was sitting next to him. "She lost the baby. I don't think I ever told you that. She called me in the middle of the night, saying that she'd fallen down some stairs in her apartment building, and she'd lost it," Martin whispered, obviously distraught by the memories alone.

"I couldn't believe how upset I was when she told me that. I wanted to call you after, but I was almost afraid to. I didn't know if you'd answer, and I didn't want to risk losing you again."

_"What're you talking about?" _he heard her whisper. _"You never lost me."_

"I know that, but it seemed like I had. I moved clear across the country, for Christ's sake."

Martin paused, noticing Jennifer staring out the window of the car.

"She's unbelievably beautiful, Ruth. Just like you, babe. She's so..." Martin started crying again. "She's so smart, Ruthie. She reminds me of you every day. Some days, I can't even look at her," he confessed. "I miss you, Ruth...God, I miss you."

"Daddy!"

Martin quickly wiped a few tears from his eyes, and turned his attention to the car. "Yeah?"

"You almost done? Grandma wants us to be there at six, and it's almost six, Daddy."

Martin smiled at her. "Yeah, I'm on my way."

Jennifer rolled the window back up, and he turned his attention back to his previous engagement.

"I miss you like hell, Ruthie," he admitted. "I can't believe you're actually gone."

The wind picked up, causing a cool breeze to hit his back.

"I know. You're still with me," he smiled.

The wind stopped, and Martin grinned, his tears subsiding.

"You know what I realized? We were only married five months."

He felt like crying again. "I promised you I'd love you 'til the end of my life. That's what I'm going to do," he whispered. "Death may have parted us, but I'm not going to stop loving you. Ever."

He took a breath, before whispering, "You'll always stay with me."

Martin stood up, and saw Jennifer's little head in the car window.

"I love you, Ruthie."

He walked off, the leaves under him crunching again. Once inside the car, Jennifer, in the seat behind him, asked, "Did you talk to Mommy?"

"Yeah, I did," he answered, looking at her in the rearview mirror for a brief moment.

"Does she miss me?"

Martin's heart fell. "Yeah, she misses you like crazy, babe," he replied.

"Does she miss me like you miss her?"

"Yeah, she does," he whispered, hurriedly wiping his eyes so he could see the road.

"I'm sorry, Daddy," she muttered.

"For what, baby?"

"For you losing Mommy."

"Oh, babe, don't be sorry. There wasn't anything we could've done differently," he assured her.

"You promise?"

"I promise."

"I love you, Daddy. But you don't have to say that back. You've only known me for a few months."

In that instant, he was at peace with everything. She'd given him love, compassion, a daughter, who he never thought he'd would love as much as he did...she'd given him everything he'd ever wanted.

Including her heart. She'd given him every bit of her heart, and he knew that. She'd given him the most beautiful daughter he could've ever hoped for. And she loved him.

Martin smiled. "I love you, too."

* * *

How was it? Please tell me. :) And remember, that sequel might come if you review. :-D

Thank you all SO much for reading. I really enjoyed the reviews. :-)

Okay. All that's left now is to click that blue button down there.

If you're interested in reading anything else by me, visit my profile. I have two other pieces, including "That One Night" under my favorites, that weren't uploaded by me. (I didn't know how to upload at the time these were uploaded.)


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